Open Access

n this study, two green synthesis routes were used for the synthesis of Ag/ZnO nanoparticles, using cassava starch as a simple and low-cost effective fuel and Aloe vera as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The Ag/ZnO nanoparticles were characterized and used for bacterial dis- infection of lake water contaminated with Escherichia coli (E. coli). Characterization indicated the formation of a face-centered cubic structure of metallic silver nanoparticles with no insertion of Ag into the ZnO hexagonal wurtzite structure. Physicochemical and bacteriological analyses described in “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater” were used to evaluate the efficiency of the treatment. In comparison to pure ZnO, the synthesized Ag/ZnO nanoparticles showed high efficiencies against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and general coliforms present in the lake water. These pathogens were absent after treatment using Ag/ZnO nanoparticles. The results indicate that Ag/ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via green chemistry are a promising candidate for the treatment of wastewaters contaminated by bacteria, due to their facile preparation, low-cost synthesis,and disinfection efficiency.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides a unique, atom-specific tool to probe the electronic structure of solids. By surmounting long-held limitations of powder-based XAS using a dynamically averaged powder in a Resonant Acoustic Mixer (RAM), we demonstrate how time-resolved in situ (TRIS) XAS provides unprecedented detail of mechanochemical synthesis. The use of a custom-designed dispersive XAS (DXAS) setup allows us to increase the time resolution over existing fluorescence measurements from ∼15 min to 2 s for a complete absorption spectrum. Hence, we here establish TRIS-XAS as a viable method for studying mechanochemical reactions and sampling reaction kinetics. The generality of our approach is demonstrated through RAM-induced (i) bottom-up Au nanoparticle mechanosynthesis and (ii) the synthesis of a prototypical metal organic framework, ZIF-8. Moreover, we demonstrate that our approach also works with the addition of a stainless steel milling ball, opening the door to using TRIS-DXAS for following conventional ball milling reactions. We expect that our TRIS-DXAS approach will become an essential part of the mechanochemical tool box.

ABX3 metal halide perovskites revolutionized the research and development of new optoelectronics, including solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Processing polycrystalline thin films from precursor solutions is one of the core advantages of these materials since it enables versatile and cost-effective manufacturing. The perovskite film morphology, that is, continuous substrate coverage and low surface roughness, is of paramount importance for highly efficient solar cells and optoelectronic devices in general. Controlling the chemistry of precursor solutions is one of the most effective strategies to manage the perovskite film morphology. Herein, we show the fundamental influence of the A-site cation composition on the perovskite precursor arrangement and the consequent film formation. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering give unprecedented insights into the complex structural chemistry of the perovskite precursors and, in particular, their repulsive interactions as a crucial parameter for colloidal stability. Combining these techniques with in situ grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering during thin-film formation allows us to identify the mechanism for using alkali metals as a decisive criterion to control the colloidal stability of the perovskite precursor and thus the thin-film morphology. We illustrate the fundamental principle behind the systematic use of alkali metals regardless of whether they are incorporated in the lattice or not. Hence, this work provides tools to selectively control the morphology and crystal growth in present and future systems

The adsorptive performance of divalent manganese onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The study is focused on the one hand, on the use of SWCNT as adsorbent to remove divalent manganese II) pollutant controlling batch parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose and contact time; and on the other hand, on the characterization of manganese adsorbed by SWCNT (Mn-SWCNT) adsorbent to probe the chemical composition, oxidation state, and local structural environment of Mn absorber. Freundlich adsorption isotherm well fitted the experimental data and suggested the maximum adsorption capacity at pH 2. Ion exchange was proposed as the main adsorption mechanism for removing manganese using SWCNT. XAS results revealed the change in the oxidation state of manganese. The effect of pH, adsorbent dose, and contact time is shown. XAS also showed that Mn-SWCNT material is principally composed of MnCl2, Mn2O3, MnO2, Mn3O4, and MnO in decreasing order with MnCl2 and Mn2O3 as major compounds.

Development and fundamental understanding of precious-group-metal-free electrocatalysts is hampered by limitations in the quantification of the intrinsic activity of different catalytic sites and understanding the different reaction mechanisms. Comparing isomorphic nitrogen-doped carbons, Zn-N-Cs and Fe-N-Cs with the common tetrapyrrolic motif, a catalyst-independent outer-sphere rate-determining step in the alkaline oxygen reduction reaction is observed. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations on tetrapyrrolic model structures indicate the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level as a good descriptor for the catalytic activity. Contour plots suggest that the electron transfer occurs directly from the tetrapyrrolic coordination site, rather than from the metal center. Metal-free tetrapyrrolic N4 sites are discovered to be highly active oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) active sites in alkaline that reach turnover frequencies (TOF) of 0.33 and 1.84 s−1 at 0.80 and 0.75 VRHE in the order of magnitude of tetrapyrrolic Fe–N4 sites in the acidic ORR. While Zn-coordination lowers the HOMO level and therefore the catalytic activity, Fe-coordination lifts the HOMO level resulting in TOF values of 0.4 and 4 s−1 for tetrapyrrolic Fe–N4 sites at 0.90 and 0.85 VRHE, respectively. At higher mass activities, the peroxide reduction becomes rate-limiting, where highest peroxide production rates are observed for the nitrogen-doped carbon.